Blagojevich on media blitz as impeachment trial begins

But the Democratic governor is refusing to take part in the proceedings. Blagojevich said the rules are so biased that he cannot possibly get a fair hearing.

Instead of attending his trial in Springfield, Blagojevich traveled to New York for a media blitz.

He told the Today Show he thinks "the fix is in" and he accused lawmakers of deciding "essentially to do a hanging without even a fair trial."

Blagojevich also talked about his surprise arrest and compared his ordeal to that of major figures in the civil rights movement.

"I had a whole bunch of thoughts," Blagojevich said. "Of course my wife and my children, and then I thought about Mandela, Dr. King, Gandhi, and tried to put some perspective on all of this."

Last week the governor angered veterans by drawing a comparison between his ordeal and the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Blagojevich told ABC he considered appointing Oprah Winfrey to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

However he said appointing Winfrey might come across as a gimmick and the talk show host was unlikely to accept.You can hear live coverage of the impeachment trial beginning at noon today (Jan. 26) on KWMU-2. That's available via HD Radio or here at KWMU.org.